YEO Policy Books 2015 Policy Book - Page 17

Landlord-Tenant Voter Registration
Origin: City Council of East Lansing, Michigan
Bill Name/Number: City Charter Section 6-175
Link: Click here
YEO Sponsor: East Lansing Mayor Nathan Triplett
Summary: Established in 2013, this law requires landlords to provide new tenants with voter registration
information. For more information on voter resources for landlords from the City of East Lansing, click here.
Talking Points & Important Information:
• In 2013, the city of East Lansing passed an ordinance requiring landlords to provide their tenants with voter
information and registration applications when the tenant first moves into the unit. While there was some
pushback from landlords who allegedly weren’t consulted in the formulation of the ordinance, former YEO Mayor
Nathan Triplett worked with the council to pass this ordinance and ensure the enfranchisement of East Lansing’s
roughly 49,000 college student population.
• Landlord-tenant voter information laws will help cities’ large number of students, new citizens, and transient
professionals register and stay registered to vote. Such requirements are also valuable because of the increase
of rentals vs. homeownership and the demographics therein, with renters being disproportionately lower-income
and/or people of color.
• In the fall of 2014, the Michigan State Legislature introduced a bill that would require all landlords in the state to
provide new tenants with similar resources. New York City has included language access to its landlord-tenant
voter registration ordinance.
2015 POLICY BOOK
LOCAL
LEVEL
PAGE 17